Boot Camp

ByMike Moffit

When Apple switched from PowerPC processors to Intel Core Duo, they gave their systems the ability to run Microsoft Windows as well as Mac OS X. This was considered to be a big deal—people who were still on the fence about switching, or those who were still dependent on custom Windows applications, could have the best of both worlds. Almost immediately, two companies released products that could let you run Windows inside of OS X: Parallels and VMware. However, Apple gave its users a third option at no extra charge. Boot Camp allows you to create a partition on your hard drive and install Windows, just as you could on a Dell or HP machine.

Inside the Utilities folder (under Applications) there is a program called Boot Camp Assistant. With it, you can download the driver disc to support your hardware, then create a partition on your hard drive for Windows. Boot Camp Assistant will then prompt you for the Windows DVD and reboot your system to start Windows Setup. Once Windows is installed, you will be prompted for the driver disc, so all the features of your Mac—Bluetooth, AirPort, iSight, etc.—will now work in Windows as well. Once this is done, you can use your Mac to run Windows applications just as you would on any other Windows system.

In order to do this, there are a few things that you need to know. First, and foremost, make sure you have the latest version of all Mac software, including firmware and Boot Camp support. These will be downloaded automatically when you run Software Update. Second, make sure you have a licensed copy of Windows that is capable of running on your system—early model Intel Mac systems can run Windows XP or Vista, but if you have a more recent system you will need Windows 7. Some systems, like the MacBook Air or any system running OS X 10.7 “Lion,” will only support Windows 7; there is no driver support for XP and Vista. Third, remember that until you have the Windows drivers installed, some of your hardware features will not work. This includes Bluetooth, so if you have a wireless mouse and keyboard, they will not work during the Windows installation phase.

You will need a USB keyboard and mouse to install Windows; once the drivers are in place for Bluetooth support, you can use your keyboard and mouse. This also means that the eject button on your keyboard won’t work, so when you’re prompted for the driver disc, you won’t be able to eject the Windows disc. Simply reboot your system and hold down the Option key until you get a boot menu. Now you can hit eject to remove the Windows DVD, then select the Windows volume (it may be called WINDOWS, BOOTCAMP, or “Untitled”) to reload Windows so you can insert the driver disc. Once the drivers are installed, the eject button and everything else about your Mac will work.

For more details, as well as troubleshooting information in case you run into problems, go to Apple’s Boot Camp Support page here. As always, we recommend you perform a full backup of your hard drive prior to installing a new OS.

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